Jazz Chisholm Jr.s late homer saves Yankees as they beat Dodgers to avoid doubleheader sweep
What Ryan McMahon thought was a ray of optimism might have sounded more frightening to those who have watched the Yankees over the past month.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.
“We got another game later today,” McMahon said between games of a doubleheader Sunday, “so the day’s not completely spoiled yet.”A few hours later, it looked headed that way thanks in part to another dismal offensive performance.But shortly after Fernando Cruz blew a one-run lead in the top of the eighth, Jazz Chisholm Jr.picked him up in the bottom of the frame, belting a home run the other way that lifted the Yankees to a 2-1 win over the Dodgers, splitting a doubleheader and avoiding a sweep in The Bronx.Chisholm’s disappointing season has been one of the bigger reasons the Yankees lineup has faltered without Aaron Judge, but Chisholm has now saved them in two of their past six games with a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later.Sunday’s came off Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips in a 1-1 game and, along with some terrific work from the bullpen besides Cruz, proved to be just enough on a night when the Yankees squandered chances throughout, going 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.Even after getting dominated by Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete game in the opener Sunday afternoon, the Yankees (55-44) finished the day just 1 ¹/₂ games back of the Rays (who were swept by the Red Sox) for first place in the AL East — the closest they have been since June 29.The Dodgers (63-37), whose relentless at-bats forced Cam Schlittler out of Game 1 by the fifth inning, could not do the same against the Yankees bullpen in the nightcap.
They got strong work from Ryan Yarbrough (2 ²/₃ innings), Paul Blackburn (2 ¹/₃ innings) and Brent Headrick (two innings) to get through the seventh clinging to a 1-0 lead.That set them up perfectly, or so they thought, to finis...